Prunes start life as large ripe plums. Shaken vigorously from the tree they are first gathered into wooden containers. Then, after washing and drying in large dehydrators or in the sun, they are dipped in potassium sorbate (a natural preservative) to prevent them from becoming mouldy. Plums destined to become prunes are of a certain type that will not ferment either during or after the drying process. These varieties are produced mostly in California and around the Mediterranean, with the French prunes being the best in taste and most expensive. They are generally only available in specialist shops.

But taste is not the only attraction. Out of all the fruits and vegetables the glossy skinned prunes are among the best antioxidants available for the body. High in vitamin A (100gm of prunes provides 130mg of vitamin A), necessary for protecting the immune system against various forms of cancer, prunes are also rich in calcium and potassium and have significant amounts of magnesium and phosphorus. When stewed, prunes often feature in hospital food as part of a nourishing diet for the sick, and their mild laxative properties are also appealing to many.  

Prunes were first produced from plums in Turkey and Persia, and the European plum is said to have originated from the Caucasus and the regions around the Caspian Sea. Today, because they are grown in many places — from Italy to Norway and Sweden and from Moldova and Romania to Belarus and Germany — prunes appear in a rich variety of dishes. Wrapped in strips of bacon speared on cocktail sticks, which are grilled until the fat runs through, they make a mouth-watering starter. They can be cooked with meats in casseroles or added at the last minute to savoury rice dishes. Chopped they can bring extra flavour to stuffing for poultry or they can give extra sweetness to fruit salads, while soaked in kirsch or orange liqueur with a roll of almond paste in the place of the pit they make a delicious after dinner sweets.